Chapter 59. Wish-Fulfilment Transfiguration
A few days later, inside Duncan's suitcase, in the Kelpie's living area.
Mori swam freely in the clear lake water, like a fish at ease.
Standing on the bank, Duncan waved.
"Mori, come over again and let me check you!"
Mori obeyed and swam over, saying happily, "I'm absolutely all better. I don't feel the slightest bit unwell."
"It's still better to check once more."
Duncan smiled, rose on his tiptoes, and parted the hair on Mori's back.
All the tiny black spots at the roots had vanished, and the sheen was bright, as if it had been oiled.
"Ah... open wide."
Duncan coaxed like one would a baby, and Mori, helpless, opened his mouth wide.
The tip of Duncan's wand lit with a milky-white orb of light.
He reached into Mori's mouth and circled it around—no abnormalities.
"Congratulations, Mori. You're cured. From now on you're a healthy Kelpie!"
After finishing the examination, Duncan nodded in satisfaction and announced the diagnosis, while also seeing the task-completion prompt.
[Optional Task (Advanced) complete. Mori, afflicted with a strange illness, has recovered. You have displayed your talent in the field of magical creatures.]
[Task Reward: Kelpie favourability +40 (now 100), 600 virtual coins, Random Item ×1]
[Congratulations, you have obtained ×1 Animal Magic Card.]
"Another magic card?"
Suppressing his excitement, Duncan took out a finely made card.
"I wonder what magical ability I'll get this time..."
Duncan chose to use the magic card.
The card instantly vanished from his hand, turned into a strand of silver light, and merged into his body.
[Congratulations, you have obtained Wish-Fulfilment Transfiguration.]
[Wish-Fulfilment Transfiguration: Just as the name suggests, so long as your magic is sufficient, you can turn anything in the world into whatever you want. Please use with caution, or irreversible consequences are highly likely.]
"Transfiguration? This skill looks a bit overpowered on paper..."
So thought Duncan, as his gaze dropped to a stone on the ground.
He swished his wand and used the transfiguration.
The oval stone, as if made of plasticine, was squeezed and slowly changed shape.
Moments later, it had become a Kelpie.
"It looks just like me."
Mori stared in amazement at the little Kelpie on the ground.
"Because it transformed following your appearance."
Duncan smiled.
He flicked his wand, and the little Kelpie leapt into the water.
Only, whether due to Duncan's lack of proficiency or not, although the little Kelpie could move, it looked very clumsy.
With a bit of close observation, one could tell it was fake.
But Duncan was already very satisfied with this result.
Just last week in Professor McGonagall's class he had still been learning to turn a wooden stick into a silver needle.
Now he could turn a stone into a Kelpie—already a huge leap forward.
"I wonder if I can use it on myself..."
Duncan recalled the description of the transfiguration.
It seemed anything could be changed.
He hesitated for a moment, then raised his wand and aimed at his own arm.
Practice is the only way to gain true knowledge.
If it fails, he would go to Madam Pomfrey.
As magic welled up in his body, Duncan felt a sharp pain in his arm, making him suck in a cold breath.
His smooth, pale arm slowly shifted shape along with his imagination.
Scales grew upon the skin, and his fingers became sharp talons.
Only, halfway through the transformation, the pain exceeded Duncan's tolerance, and he had to stop.
"Duncan, are you all right?"
Seeing Duncan pale-faced and beaded with sweat, the Kelpie asked in deep worry.
"I'm fine."
Duncan raised his hand to admire the arm that was half scales and half tender skin, and replied in high spirits.
His idea was feasible.
The transfiguration could be used on himself—only it required extremely high proficiency and magic.
Once he fully mastered it, he believed he could become whatever he wished.
When duelling someone, at the very instant of meeting, turn that person into a cockroach, then stomp them to death.
Just picturing it was invincible.
At that point, wizards would probably flee madly just hearing his name.
So Duncan thought, delighted.
Mori widened his eyes, blankly watching Duncan, who was holding up his arm and grinning foolishly, his face full of doubt.
He ventured, "Duncan, how about I carry you into the lake for a bit? We haven't played together in ages."
"Sure, sure..."
Duncan came back to himself, restored his hand to normal, flipped over onto Mori's back, and leapt with him into the lake.
Back from the suitcase to the dormitory, Neville came rubbing his forehead and greeted him.
"Duncan, an owl brought your letter..."
He had wanted to help by taking the letter and handing it to Duncan, but the post owl's temper turned out to be a bit fierce.
It had chased him, scratching and pecking for quite a while, and now his head still buzzed with pain.
"Oh?"
Duncan looked where Neville pointed.
A grey-white owl perched on the desk, preening its feathers.
"Senier!"
Duncan said in surprise.
"Grand-dad finally wrote back?"
Senier hooted softly, flapped somewhat tired wings, and settled on Duncan's shoulder.
A rolled parchment was tied to its ankle, the surface frayed by gales during the long journey.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Duncan stroked Senier's feathers and took the letter from its ankle.
The letter focused on how to treat a Kelpie's illness and how to care for it after recovery.
Only at the end were two sentences asking after Duncan's recent situation, which read like Tina's tone.
And not a single sentence in the letter mentioned that mysterious organisation, as if they hadn't gone out to investigate at all, but on holiday.
Duncan frowned slightly, folded the letter and put it away, then asked the owl on his shoulder, "Senier, where did you find them?"
"America," Senier said, a bit peevish.
"They started in France, and by the time I flew there, they'd gone to Germany, and then to America. They had me flying all over. If it were some other owl, it would surely suspect they were deliberately putting it through its paces, and would give them a good pecking!"
"So many places—no wonder the reply took so long..."
Duncan murmured, then asked, "Did they find any trace of that organisation?"
"Doesn't seem so."
Senier tilted its head, thinking.
"But they must have found some leads. When I found them, a few bad sorts seemed to be looking for them."
"Only, when they talked they were very cautious and wouldn't let me hear, so I don't know the specifics."
Duncan straightened at once.
"Are they safe?"
"Very safe," Senier replied.
"Their hiding place I almost couldn't find—let alone those wizards."
Post owls have a very special way of finding people.
No matter where someone hides, they can find them.
The Ministry of Magic had even used owls to capture criminals they couldn't locate, with a very high success rate.
Later, of course, the criminal wizards got wise.
They developed a magic such that, whenever they didn't want owls to find them, they would use it and make the owls fly in a daze all over the world until they dropped from exhaustion.
"That's good."
Duncan nodded.
"Right—about Misk and the others..."
"Don't worry, I told them all."
Senier flapped its wings.
"If there's danger, that Bowtruckle will open the door for them. Whether Newt is willing or not, they'll come out and help."
Duncan let out a slight breath.
With that group of magical creatures protecting them, so long as Newt and Tina didn't run into an especially powerful wizard, there shouldn't be any danger to their lives.
"Danger is rapidly approaching. I should hurry up and strengthen myself too..."
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